Crossing Out The Words

I spent my spare hours in my last five days in China doing crossword puzzles. These were standard word puzzles, and not the more challenging cryptic crosswords, which are annoyingly difficult by any measure. The ones from The New York Times are tough. I am struggling with one, which I have abandoned for a day or two, to let my unconscious mind simmer over the clues. Sometimes you get lucky and a word pops into your head that fits, and you can use it to leverage other words.

I stayed with each puzzle for a day, and I did attempt to solve a few during dinner. It was a game of persistence, inspiration, and in some cases, research. It can be trial and error, as you attempt different words to work out permutations of a three, four, five, or multi-lettered word.

The tough clues are those that I had no context about, i.e. phrases on plays, musicals, films, books, and obscure television programs. Foreign languages can make it harder, including the occasional Latin, French or Spanish phrase. Nevertheless, this is the challenge of crossword puzzles where linguistics and luck can be suitable bedfellows. Guessing is part of the process; the rest is about fitting into the white boxes.

In conversations, how often do you cross out words? Do you practise selective hearing? How often do you dismiss others and their ideas? When do your words intersect, and cause confusion or clarity for your audience?

Attempt a crossword today.

Leadership Lessons from Terracotta Warriors

The three Pits at the Terracotta Warriors Museum display the battle-ready formations. Pit 1 comprised foot soldiers; grunts or infantrymen – sadly, they are cannon fodder. Pit 2 contained the mounted cavalry with horses. Pit 3 contained the officers and chariots.

The warfare of two thousand years ago was based on pushing the cannon fodder in front; their statues were skinny with no body armour. Officers were situated further back with body armour and larger bellies. The unique statues were the archers who were positioned asymmetrically in active poses.

I also met the only surviving farmer who discovered the original site of the buried army; they found earthen pottery while farming. He now holds an official job in the museum, signing autographs of the well-produced glossy souvenir book. Just before he signed the two books of my travel companions, he was dozing off. Thanks to his team who founded the site in 1974, without which we would not have enjoyed, a glimpse of one of the most amazing archaeological finds in human history.

As a leader, where do you normally position yourself? Do you lead from behind, or make yourself available in the frontline?

Jamie Oliver: Conductor of a One-Man Brand

I just finished reading (actually studying) The Unauthorized Guide To Doing Business the Jamie Oliver Way: 10 Secrets of the Irrepressible One-Man Brand (Paperback). Jamie Oliver is the celebrity television chef in his series The Naked Chef and Fifteen, restaurateur, author, stage performer, and philanthropist.
Trevor Clawson, a marketing consultant independently extracts ten lessons or principles from the irrepressible Jamie Oliver’s numerous achievements and accomplishments.
1)    Be yourself, but more so
2)    Extend the brand
3)    Build on what you’re good at
4)    Remember the social dimension
5)    Become the face of a supermarket
6)    Deal with adversity
7)    Go international
8)    Protect the brand
9)    Be controversial
10)Be bold
Clawson backs his arguments well, and as he describes it aptly: love him or loath him, Jamie Oliver is a brand that has withstood the test of time. I appreciated that Clawson cleverly drew on the patterns of Jamie’s success with strong research and smart reasoning. Clawson main emphasis of Jamie’s success is the latter’s brand values.

It’s Great to Be Back!

Greetings, Readers!

I just got in tonight, and after a quick feed I am focused on getting this blog back on time. I noticed readership has fallen somewhat, and I expected that as I could not blog, tweet or go on Facebook.

Over the last five days, I taught two days of leadership that completed the whole course that stretched over four weeks. I learnt new things from teaching this company-specific, core leadership course. Concrete learners need answers in the form of guided solutions and strategies. It seems that abstract learning is challenging, and harder to extract from workplace conversations. I also enjoyed the sharing sessions of two senior managers. I enjoyed modeling their strategies (and techniques) for working in teams, making decisions, balancing work and life, and attributes of leaders.

I enjoyed my experience at the onsite, Terracotta Warriors Museum. I walked all three pits and noticed the distinctions. I also got up close and personal with the last surviving farmer who discovered what is regarded as the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World. I will post photographs and my thoughts over the next few days.

This week will be the pre-Youth Olympic Games trials, and testing on the competition venue. More reports here - stay tuned!

Leadership By Film

My triathlon buddy, Tan Eng Boon shared this with me after we were both inspired by the film, Invictus: ‘It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.’ ~ Nelson Mandela

I like this quotation, as this is precisely what I have been encouraging many leaders to consider. Look at leadership as positions of influence; in fact, apply prepositions, or pre-positions. In my book, Leadership Lessons from Triathlons I proposed leading with prepositions. Prepositions include: around, behind, in front, behind, above, under, in-between, and beside. These are potential positions to lead, as it puts your place with reference to others. Near or far, it is your relative position with others that shows your support for your team.

President Mandela, who spent 27 years in jail, also describes his preference for recognition of others. He places others before him, during celebration. Watch Invictus for the fine acting, especially by Morgan Freeman. Matt Damon puts up a credible performance. He shared with Ben Afleck his first Oscar for his screenplay Good Will Hunting, where he played the mathematical genius.

As I will be on a business trip, I may not be able to post on this blog for a few days, nor tweet nor go on Facebook. It may give you a sense where I’ll be. I will chalk up my posts over the next few days, and you stay put till I return on Monday. Meanwhile, keep well and take care.

Learn Something New Today?

What have you learnt today?

While I was at custom bike fitters, Elite Bicycles today I leant about GPS monitors for bikes and runners. A salesperson presented such a new device to us, which was a fraction of the popular brands. He described its features and its capabilities. I learnt from a loyal Garmin user on what to look out for were I to purchase such a unit.

I learnt to ask the useful questions if I were to purchase a satellite-assisted instrument. These questions included:

1)    Warranty period

2)    Water-resistance/splash-proof/waterproof ability

3)    Mounting features and ability to stay put on bumpy conditions

4)    Time to detect satellites/readiness for use

5)    Battery life/charging time

6)    Software and hardware compatibility

7)    Relevance of features like cadence, speed, heart-rate, and plotting routes

This morning, over an audio-conference, I learnt which issues my students faced as managers. I will attend to these concerns and challenges this weekend when I travel overseas for yet another leadership workshop. I also learnt that there are policy matters that when executed can lead to staff concluding a sense of unfairness.

The past few weeks, I reviewed my nutritional plan for my upcoming ultra-marathon. I learnt how much I needed to fuel my body in order for it to function at its endurance best.

The day is not over…what have you learnt today?

‘Learning is an L-plate for earning.’ ~ Enrico Varella

Go On – Break The Rules – If You Dare!

Can you mandate innovation? Seriously, can you?

This seems to be the weak case for managers who believe (and poorly defend) that they can determine the extent of their staff’s creative efforts. They think they can place vice-like grips on the quality and quantity of creative ideas and interventions from staff.

One truism is ‘You can be clever, but don’t be too clever!’ Now, how empowering is that for your staff and you? I wonder who utters this and what is it about their confidence. Fearful people feel threatened. They look at everyone else as hurdles, obstacles and hindrances. If managers manage with these emotions, they are no better than jailers. You can imprison people’s imaginations, passions, and desires.

The contemporary manifesto of revolutionaries is to go out and just do it! Ignore those annoying pleas to restrain your creative efforts [‘We don’t do it this way, here!’]. Isn’t it a wonder we don’t solve very well, or at all, our day-to-day fire-fighting issues? I thought that we were more skillful and experienced than that?

Excuses ad nauseum…there seems to be one in every situation. For far too long, our system of education has, albeit successfully, promoted a sense of fear and disparity for anything resembling creativity. Non-compliance, blind allegiance, never defying authority (a.k.a. ‘Do as you are told!’) – that was the order of the day. So much for engaging the entrepreneurial spirit!

Creativity breeds creativity. Stifle this sense of openness, connectivity, relaxation, freedom, and absence of stress and pressure and you are headed for silence, dread, frustration, and mediocrity.

I recall that in most organisations, within the hidden confines of the performance appraisal form is that area called Key Result Areas (KRAs). One of these, non-empirical (non-scoring) dimensions, is [creative] problem solving. How can you solve problems without being creative? Can you mandate creativity? Do you enlist creative efforts by fear or fervour?

Leaders promote free expression of abilities, relationships, talent and potential. Creativity and personalities are expressions. How do you express yourself? How do you reduce stasis, reluctance, denial, hesitation and ignorance? Leaders – let your people bring themselves out. If they exceed you in some areas, so be it. Be open enough to allow this release of expression, i.e. innovation and creativity.

Read: Seth Godin’s Linchpins, and Guy Kawasaki’s ‘Rules for Revolutionaries’.

Manoeuvring Through Monday Morning Mauve

Why should today be Monday Morning Blues or Black Monday? It seems that journalism has perpetrated and promulgated the concept of predictably bad and clichéd days of the week like flamboyant geomancers and writers of horoscopes. Of all days, Fridays are TGIF that makes sense since we look forward to a non-working weekend. It is not something you will say if you are new business owner.

Last week’s post on the relevance of coaches yielded an interesting one on another blog. Do get a coach to help you with a 6-month process of re-education: learn, unlearn, and re-learn. In the Zen tradition: If you want to fill your cup, first empty your cup.

Here’s a book by Douglas McDougall that may be worth reading. It is about ultra-marathons and how we can run free of pain and injury. Perhaps, this is why we had the emergence of Chi Running, P.O.S.E. Method and barefoot running schools of thought.

For your Monday: a tickle to your funny bone.

Personality of one who coughs up a fur ball: Phlegmboyant.

People who hit the wall but don’t get too hurt: Marathon runners.

Get SMART & Set Solid Goals

Yesterday, we reviewed how the SWOT Analysis matrix could be applied to oneself as part of career coaching. The 2X2 matrix covers four dimensions that are considered for a brand, and this includes your attempts and strategies for Personal Branding 2.0. Your strengths may translate to opportunities, and your weaknesses may lead to potential threats.

View, review and overview your goals regularly! You don’t need to weigh yourself everyday as moment-to-moment measurements can present only mild variations. Reviews and the like are to jog your memory, so you remember. Exercised muscles remember their workouts, too – muscle memory is a wonderful thing whether you play a musical instrument, play a sport, or speak a foreign language. The longer you spend on a skill, the deeper it is ingrained into your mind and body – this is called neuromuscular education.

Use SMART goals to set new targets, expectations and standards for yourself. As a manager, do use the opportunity of the performance appraisal interview to discuss developmental plans for your staff. This gives them a sense of relevance, purpose, opportunity and optimism. Make staff feel valued, and they may shine through their performance.

Here, leading Australian sports clothes company Jaggad has an article on setting SMART Goals to your athletic achievements.

Do use goals to orientate your attention and purpose. Goals give us a sense of direction, commitment and focus. Set short-term goals as well as long term ones. I know executives who sign up for Ironman triathlons in advance, and this ensures that they have interim goals that blend, eventually, with long term ones. How’s this for a mid-term goal for the more serious athletes among us?

Do You Need a Coach?

If you are determined to improve your performance, a coach is necessary. Your coach can spell the difference between a good performance and a better one if you commit to the agreed plan of action.

In triathlons, you can hire a coach, either online or in person, to help you define or refine your techniques in the swim, ride or run. Seek a coach in an area you wish to enhance your competence. What are your competencies? These are your aggregate of skills, knowledge, expertise, experience and exposure in areas related to your profession or pastime. I have attended workshops on all three disciplines in triathlons, and found them to be useful in my appreciation of my athletic performance.

Do a SWOT analysis for yourself (not necessarily reserved for brands alone). What are your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats? Your weaknesses can be your Achilles Heel, and a tipping point to your disfavour. Poor swim techniques can rob you of your energy of the bike leg, causing a domino effect to your run. A proper bicycle fit by an expert fitter can also translate to a comfortable ride, and therefore better power and efficiency on the ride [EDUCATION OF A BIKE FITTER, 6 May 2010].

A coach need not be expensive, and can be influential on your personal and professional development. Having said, there are many who claim they are coaches, yet they cannot be competent in all areas. Beware of wild claims some of these executive coaches make; check their credentials and seek testimonials and references before you invest your time and money on them. Determine if they are reliable; to build trust with you, a coach has to be straightforward, open, accepting and reliable.

A career coach can also help you in the way that author Richard Bolles expressed himself in his book, What Colour Is Your Parachute? You can learn how to strategise with your manager your developmental plan for enhancing your value as a staff.

Be valued, value others and be value-able – seek a coach to reach your potential. Leave your comments on your success with your coaches.